LaSalle AVANT Showcase - '7th July' by Kimberly Leng

The use of a handicapped character as a plot device has its detractors, but still works an effective emotive magic to an audience, as seen from the film 7th July.

A deaf mother runs a noodle stall with the help of her hearing daughter, who feels socially stifled by her familial obligations.

The situation reaches a climax as her daughter wishes to go on a diving trip, no less to fulfil a curiosity her late dad’s love for the deep sea ignited in her, but that would mean leaving her mum to her own devices.

Probably the most sentimentally-engaging film of the showcase, the premise of 7th July comes across well due to a stellar cast – all of which engage the sympathies of the audience, as well as the aforementioned plot device which effectively tugs at the heartstrings without feeling contrived or over-the-top.